When Kai finally stepped back out onto the sidewalk, the last traces of the golden hour had vanished. The city was now a grid of neon signs and deep, blue shadows.
"Mmm, it's already dark," Kai muttered, glancing at his watch. He looked down the street, then back at the shop door.
"…. Will be safe going alone home at this time."
Kai didn't overthink it. He turned on his heel and walked back into the store.
He found her in a quiet corner, staring intently at a big clay figurine of a 'Bunny-sensei' mascot.
"Ha… so you like that mascot?"
Hina spun around so fast she nearly collided with him. Startled, she swung her book instinctively, the heavy paper within moving like a pendulum.
"Whoa—it's just me," Kai said quickly. He reached out, his large hands catching her wrists to steady her and block the attack.
The air between them felt paper-thin.
Kai didn't let go immediately. Her wrists were small in his grip, her skin surprisingly warm. From this close, he could smell the faint scent of sweet roses clinging to her sweater. He found himself looking down into her wide, startled eyes and framed by those thick glasses.
'She's… actually quite cute, why didn't I realise it before?' The thought hit Kai like a stray lightning bolt. Up close, her face had a hidden strength to it that made his heart do a strange, uncoordinated thud.
….
"What are you doing here?" Hina whispered, her voice trembling. "Didn't you say you were leaving?"
"Ah… about that," Kai said, finally releasing her. His hands felt suddenly cold without the contact. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a flush creep up his collar. "I was thinking… It's getting dark. It wouldn't be safe for you to go home alone this late."
'Why did he come back?' Hina's heart was pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. 'Is he making fun of me? Is this part of some game the popular boy plays?'
"No. I can go by myself. I'm used to it," she said, her voice regaining its defensive edge. She adjusted her glasses, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. "Besides, I still have to go get my little sister from cram school."
"I'll take you there." Kai's expression shifted, becoming suddenly enthusiastic, his eyes bright with a sincerity.
Hina felt a wave of cold bitterness wash over her. 'Here it is.' She looked at his smiling face, and for a second, she saw Yuki. 'He wants something. They always want something.'
"I don't need your help," she snapped, her voice sour. "I know how this works. You act nice, and then you ask for a favour. I told you I wasn't going to tell anyone, no need to pretend to care about me."
She turned to walk away, but Kai's hand shot out, gently but firmly catching her by the wrist again. He didn't look offended; he looked like he'd expected her to say that.
"No favours, Hina. I promise." He looked toward the counter where her book sat waiting to be paid for. "And to prove it…"
He pulled her gently toward the till, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. "I'm paying for the book. In exchange, let's be friends."
Hina froze, staring at his hand on her wrist, then up at his determined face. The trance of hate started to crack.
The walk to the counter felt longer than it should have. Kai didn't let go of her wrist until they reached the register, and even then, the lingering warmth stayed behind like a phantom touch.
He pulled out his wallet and tapped his card for both books before Hina could even reach for her bag. The cashier, a sleepy-looking college student with dyed green hair, didn't even look up as he bagged the two identical volumes of The Husky and His White Cat Shizun, including a small figurine of Bunny-sensei.
"You really didn't have to do that," Hina whispered as they stepped out into the crisp night air. The city was alive now, the hum of distant traffic and the glow of vending machines creating a neon-lit path for them.
"I wanted to," Kai said, his voice easy. He shifted his bag, falling into a comfortable stride beside her.
To break the tension, he started talking. He moved away from the heavy drama of their novels and started asking her about other things that she watched when she wasn't reading. They went from discussing the latest season of Alice in Borderland to the way modern live-action adaptations always seem to miss the soul of the source material.
"I actually prefer the early 2000s light novels," Hina admitted, her voice getting a little stronger as she relaxed.
"I get that," Kai laughed, the sound bright in the quiet street. "But the world-building in the new ones is insane. Some of those authors are basically architects."
Hina looked at him sideways, her eyes tracking the way the streetlights caught the sharp line of his jaw. She bit her lip, a question she'd been holding back finally slipping out.
"So... if you read these books so much..." she paused, her voice dropping. "Are you... into men?"
Kai stopped mid-step. He let out a short, surprised huff of air and shook his head, his blond hair messy in the wind.
"No," he said firmly, meeting her eyes. "I'm not. I just... I love the stories, honestly? It's an interesting perspective on how other people live and love. The stakes feel higher in these books. The sacrifice, the obsession, it's intense. It makes normal romance stories feel a bit thin, don't you think?"
Hina felt a sudden, massive weight lift off her chest. A wave of relief washed over her so quickly it made her dizzy.
'He's not...' she thought, her pace slowing. 'Wait. Why am I relieved? Why does it matter to me what he's into?' The realisation hit her like a physical blow.
She felt her face go from a light pink to a deep, burning crimson. She quickly ducked her head, pushing her glasses up so she wouldn't have to look at him.
"Is that the place?" Kai asked, pointing to a brightly lit building with a blue sign that read Sakura Excellence Academy.
"Yeah," Hina stammered, her heart still doing double-time. "That's the cram school."
They reached the glass doors just as a bell rang inside. Hina stood there, clutching her bag, her mind a whirlwind of Kai's scent, the warmth of his hand, and the way he had defended his love for stories.
The automatic glass doors of the academy slid open, and a miniature whirlwind in a navy-blue school uniform burst out. Mina looked like a younger, more energetic reflection of Hina, though her hair was pulled into two bouncy pigtails that defied gravity.
She wore a bright yellow raincoat over her blazer despite the clear sky and a backpack covered in so many acrylic anime charms they rattled as wind chimes with every step.
"Hina-nee! You're late!"
Mina stopped mid-sentence, her oversized backpack nearly toppling her over as her eyes locked onto the tall, blond, and undeniably shoujo-manga-proportions guy standing next to her sister.
"Who is the golden pretty boy?" Mina asked, pointing a blunt finger with zero hesitation.
"Mina! Don't be rude!" Hina's face reached a new level of crimson. "This is… a classmate. Kai."
"He looks like he walked out of a TV drama," Mina whispered loudly, circling Kai like a shark. "Is he a model? Are you a model?"
"We should get to the station," Kai interrupted with a chuckle, gracefully stepping in to de-escalate the interrogation. "The last train for the West Line leaves in fifteen minutes."
The walk to the station was a blur, accompanied by Mina's constant chatter. Kai handled the younger girl's energy with surprising ease, laughing at her stories about her evil math teacher. When they reached the turnstiles, the digital clock above the platform flickered: 23:45.
"This is us," Hina said, her voice small. She felt a sudden, sharp pang of reluctance. The bubble they had built in the bookstore was about to pop.
"Right." Kai reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Wait—before you go. Since we're … we should probably stay in sync."
Hina's heart made a slow, heavy roll in her chest. She held out her phone, her hands trembling slightly as they exchanged numbers.
[Kai -BLS]
"Talk to you later, Hina," Kai said, his voice dropping into that softer, genuine tone that wasn't for the public. "Get home safe, Mina."
"Bye, Goldie!" Mina waved enthusiastically.
Kai stood on the platform until their train pulled away, his own apartment being only a short walk from the station. As he walked toward his quiet flat..
Inside the train car, the siblings sat in the nearly empty carriage. Mina kicked her legs, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"So," Mina started, her voice echoing in the quiet car. "Are you guys dating? Is he your secret boyfriend?"
"Mina, stop it!" Hina hissed, hiding her face behind her bag. "We are not dating. We are just… classmates who happen to share an interest. That's it."
"Mmmm," Mina pouted, crossing her arms over her yellow raincoat. "I thought I was getting an Oppa."
..
"And what do you know about dating?" Hina scolded, trying to regain her big-sister authority. "You're in middle school! Your biggest romance is with a cup of instant ramen."
"Hmph." Mina let out a long, dramatic pout, sticking her tongue out.